


tag, you're it (you got me)

by avienexjel



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Fluff fluff and more fluff, M/M, Steve Rogers-centric, Steve is also mildly emotionally constipated, Tony Being Tony, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark-centric, aka emotionally constipated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 01:43:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avienexjel/pseuds/avienexjel
Summary: Based on a Tumblr prompt I found off of Instagram saying something like, "Take me laser tagging and push me into a corner and kiss me.  Then shoot me and walk away."AKATony tries to pretend like he only kissed Steve to get the flag (because this is Capture the Flag laser tag).  Steve tries to pretend like he wasn't affected by it.  Then Natasha drags them out to go laser tagging again and they both realize they're happily gay fools and need each other in their lives.





	tag, you're it (you got me)

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written a happy fic in about two years, so i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this :)

_**tag, you're it (you got me)** _

**- >**

_*RULES AND REGULATIONS*_

 

  * _each player has a gun.  however, the gun must only be used for shooting.  no physical contact that may result in harm is permitted._


  * _you will be counted as "dead" if shot, and will not be able to move or shoot anyone else until your vest lights up again.  the time count for death is one minute._



 

regulations for capture the flag.

 

  * _if playing capture the flag, one person must be the flag-holder.  the flag-holder carries the flag of their team in their vest.  the objective of capture the flag is to steal the flag from the other team's flag-holder._


  * _players are disallowed from stealing the flag from the flag-holder_ _while_ _the flag-holder is "dead."  therefore, you are not allowed to shoot the flag-holder in order to steal the flag.  be creative!_


  * _once the flag is stolen, your team has won the game._



 

enjoy your time here at LaserTech Arena.  one round is 15 minutes and $8 per person.  any deviations from the rules above will result in disqualification for your team and/or expulsion from the arena.

 **_***_ ** **  
**

It was dark and oddly quiet in the arena.  Even with his serum-enhanced hearing, Steve couldn't pick out anything.  Wait.  No.  He was careful not to show any hint of a reaction, but now the faintest sounds of breathing reached his ears…  

"Don't move, Rogers," a voice purred from nearby, and Steve's fingers stuttered on the trigger of his gun even though he could've easily spun around and shot the other man within the blink of an eye.  He knew that voice, and it wasn't Clint's.   _Tony._

The breathing came closer, and Steve's pulse hammered in his throat as a warm arm slunk around his waist.  "Hey, soldier."  Suddenly, the darkness was all too thick and hot and his mind slowed to a crawl, like wading through mud.  He felt the rifle being taken from his grip but was too focused on the warm puffs of breath against his neck to protest.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Steve said carefully, proud that his voice didn't even waver.  It was one thing to have Tony so close, but Tony pressed against him like he was now...it prompted bad thoughts.  Very bad thoughts.

He felt his crotch twitch almost painfully.

"Just enjoying myself," Tony replied, his mouth brushing Steve's ear, and _damn that man,_ Steve could _hear_ the smirk in the billionaire's voice.  "Lighten up a little, soldier.  It's laser tag.  There are no rules."

"Actually, there _are_ several rules - " Steve couldn't help but interject.

"No rules against this though," Tony whispered back, and pressed his lips to Steve's neck.  The supersoldier stiffened instantly.  What was Tony doing?  Did he know Steve had had a crush on him for almost a year now?  Was this...was this Tony's way of taunting him for what he could never have?

In a flash, the shorter man had removed himself from Steve's back and appeared in front, a playful grin on his face.  "Surprised, soldier?"  However, Steve's face must've looked pale even in the dark of the arena, and instantly Tony's mischievous expression changed to one of regret.  "Oh, shit, sorry Steve, I didn't realize you were actually uncomfortable.  I'll, uh, stop.  Sorry."

"No!" the blonde burst out before he could filter himself, and the smile he so loved burst forward on Tony's face again.  

"Okay, good.  Was getting a little worried you'd faint or something there."  Tony gestured at Steve's glowing red vest.  "Your face was almost bright as that.  Let me guess, Captain America doesn't really have time for sexual activities, huh?  Too busy saving the world and all that?"

Last year, Steve would've taken the other man's words as maliciously making fun of him, but now, Tony's teasing was only endearing.  Although it made his face just turn redder.   _It's not the...the sexual stuff that makes me uncomfortable,_ Steve wanted to say.   _It's you and your dark tousled hair and big bright eyes and soft pink lips and that trademark goatee, it's the way you speak to your bots like they're your children and how you insist on making yourself that awful bitter coffee every morning.  It's the way you can ramble for hours about the things that excite you and how you're the most caring person I've ever met, even if you can be pretty frustrating and stubborn sometimes._ But he restrained himself and just replied faux-casually, "Something like that."

Tony clucked and said eagerly, "Don't worry, Cap.  Girls would kill to have you.  I'll set you up with someone.  I have tons of names you might be interested in."

"It's...it's not that," Steve said awkwardly, feeling his face heat up again.  "I have someone in mind...it's just...he's not interested."

If Tony was surprised that Steve was into a guy, he didn't show it.  Instead, he moved closer, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.  "Even straight guys would probably fall all over themselves to have you," he said, letting out a soft chuckle.  "You're the man, soldier."

Steve was embarrassed to realize that the "soldier" thing was turning him on a little bit.  The way Tony said it was just so...so…

He realized how close the other man was from him.  Tony's eyes were bright as flares, even in the darkness.  Like the ocean at night, or something.  Like the universe, which you would at first describe as pitch black, before seeing all the stars sprinkled across it.

Tony stepped forward, and suddenly, all Steve could feel was a pair of lips pressed against his own, even warmer and softer than he had imagined, and his mouth was still slack with shock as his mind burst with white supernovas, stealing every fantasy he had ever had since he realized, four months after the Battle of New York and two after he moved into Stark Tower, that he was falling for -

A hard object pressed against his back, and the noise of a laser gun being fired echoed in Steve's ears.  Tony stepped away slowly, watching him.  The flag was already in his hand; he must've slipped it from Steve's vest while kissing him.  "Sorry, soldier," he said with a wave.  "Better luck for your team next time."  His suit dark and dead, Steve watched, stunned, as Tony inserted the neon red flag into his vest and left, sauntering into the darkness.

Sure enough, as soon as Steve's vest and rifle had finally rebooted a minute later, the arena lights flickered on and a voice in the overhead speakers announced the win of the blue team.  Rejoining Natasha in the room where all of the Team Red vests and rifles hung, he was immediately confronted by her suspicious gaze.  "What happened?" Natasha questioned him as she stripped her vest off her slim body.  "I was handling Clint; I knew he was the flag-holder.  And Tony couldn't have stolen the flag from you without doing _something._ Your senses are better than that."  The laser tag had been a small game, just Tony and Clint versus Steve and Natasha.  Thor was off in Asgard for some royal meetings and Bruce was working on a charity project in Bangalore.

Steve felt his face redden again as he was vividly reminded of the events that had passed not more than five minutes ago.  "I...I…," he stammered, scratching the back of his neck with a hand.

Natasha peered at him more closely.  "What did Tony do, Steve?"  She paused.  "He didn't...did he?"  She mimed pulling down a zipper.

This was far closer to the truth than Steve had expected, but when he opened his mouth to adamantly deny it, he started choking and coughing, the memories of his unexpected kiss with Tony like a hairball in his throat.  Steve was no stranger to kisses - he wasn't _that_ disconnected from the world.  Back in 1944, plenty of dames had stolen a kiss or two.  And of course, there was Peggy.  But...this was different.  Tony was different.  Tony made him _feel_ different.  Stronger.  More out of control.  

"No," he finally gasped out when he was done, much to Natasha's amusement.  "He just...kissed me.  I've kissed people before."

"Never implied that you haven't," the assassin said lightly, eyes glinting with mirth.  "So that kiss really distracted you, hm?  Understandable, considering he's one of the top ten most eligible bachelors this year."

Steve sighed.  "It was just a kiss.  I just wasn't expecting it."

Natasha's eyebrows rose even higher.   _"Just_ a kiss?  Steve, it's impossible to perfectly describe how you feel about Tony because I'm not you, but you can't really be stupid enough to think I'm blind, either."

The supersoldier turned away and hefted his rifle onto the rack with a little more force than was necessary, purposely not looking at Natasha.  He could feel her eyes burning into his shoulder blades though, almost accusatory.  What did she expect him to do anyway?  Stark - Tony - probably went around kissing people for distractions all the time.  The kiss might've been special to him - and, yeah, the best thing he'd ever felt in his life - but that didn't mean Tony felt the same way.  

"I...it was all just a part of the game."

Faintly, he heard Natasha let out a disbelieving scoff, but it sounded far away as his mind drifted back into the past.  For one teeny, tiny second, Steve kind of wished he'd just stayed the shrimpy little guy from Brooklyn his heart had left behind all those years ago.  Because now, he had stamina and a great memory and no medical issues to worry about, but the one thing he wanted most was utterly unreachable.

***

"You're an idiot," Rhodey proclaimed, throwing a hand in the air.  His other hand was preoccupied with stirring a pot filled with marinara sauce.  The two were chatting in Tony's private kitchen in the Tower, similar to the one downstairs, but without the other Avengers' access.

"I know that already," Tony said, rolling his eyes.  "You don't have to remind me."

"It's just - _Tones,"_ the colonel said, shaking his head in mock disappointment.  "You couldn't think of a better way to get a kiss from him?  I've seen the way he looks at you.  I think a simple 'dinner at five?' would've done the trick just as nicely."

Tony sat up straighter on the couch.  "I'm not aiming for rejection.  A kiss was all I needed.  Now we can avoid each other and everything will be fine."

"I should tell Pepper about the shit you pulled today," Rhodey replied as he scooped pasta sauce onto the steaming bowls of spaghetti noodles on the counter.  "She'd give you a mouthful for being so ridiculous."

"I'm not ridiculous!"  Tony gave his friend the best pout he could muster up.  "Steve is so...so...blonde and perfect.  And he has a crush on another man.  He told me in the arena.  He probably likes, I don't know, Thor or something.  Thor is all muscular and handsome and _broad shouldered,_ even though he has Jane Foster so I guess that's a crushed dream right there.  Besides, at least with a kiss, I can just play it off as distracting him while getting the flag."

"Yeah," Rhodey sighed, shaking his head repeatedly for how much of an idiot his best friend could be at times.  "I'm pretty sure that _is_ all he thinks it was."

"Perfect!"  Tony clapped his hands together.  "Glad you think so.  Is the pasta ready yet?"

Rhodey wasn't even going to try anymore.  If Fate wanted those two fools to be together, they'd be together.  And if not...he supposed forty excruciating years of Tony-pining couldn't be _too_ bad…  Yeah, no.  He had to get Tony's head out of his ass somehow.

"Tones," he began carefully, "have you ever considered that the man Steve likes might be _you?"_

The shorter man gave him a withering look.  "That's not funny, _Jim."_

"I'm serious," Rhodey continued.  "Everyone sees it but you, with that mountain of insecurities you've got going there, but every time you're in the room Steve's smile grows 100 kilowatts more bright and a lot more nervous."  He pushed Tony gently over to the table and sat him down in front of a steaming bowl of spaghetti.  "Maybe you should tell Steve that it was more than just a kiss for you."

Tony, who had been just about to fork up a meatball, dropped his utensil with an ear splitting clang.  "What the hell, Rhodey?  You want him to give me that Disappointed Stare and then proceed to smash me into bits with that shield of his, don't you.  Didn't we just go over this?"

 _Jesus.  If only Pepper were here to yell at this doofus right now._ "To-ny," Rhodey said pointedly, "the guy _likes_ you.  You think you're so hard to love, but you're not.  A little difficult at times, but you.  Are a wonderful human being.  If I didn't see you as my little brother, I'd probably want to kiss you too."  He paused.  "Don't let that get to your head though.  Anyway, you're funny, and kind, and a sarcastic shit when you want to be, and you do things for people without expecting a 'thank you'.  You can be real stupid sometimes, I'd be the first one to tell you if you ever went wrong and you know it, but you have a heart of gold.  Honestly, I'd go so far as to say you're way too good for that blonde haired, blue eyed discount Thor."

"He's better looking than Thor," Tony protested defensively before he realized what he was saying and shut up.  

Rhodey just gave him a long look before he finished pouring himself a glass of milk and joined his friend at the table.  Tony wrinkled his nose.  "Milk?  Again?  I don't know how you drink that stuff."

"I could say the same about you and that awful black coffee you seem to inhale."  The colonel slurped up a noodle.  As Tony straightened up indignantly and began to rant about how coffee with cream and sugar wasn't really coffee, Rhodey just fondly rolled his eyes and allowed the engineer to change the subject.  They could talk about Tony's obliviousness later.  But for now, he was just here to spend a night with his best friend and catch up on things other than Steve Rogers's clear blue eyes and perfectly sculpted pecs.

***

Steve couldn't believe he was doing this again.  Plastic gun cold in his hands, heart pounding, ears and eyes alert in the darkness of LaserTech Arena.  His vest was snug against his chest, buckles tight.  And this time, there was no flag pressed against his shirt.  To be frank, he was disappointed that a cheery Clint had offered to take it, although he knew the archer couldn't have known how that would make him feel.   _"Since I'm on your team this time, can I be the flag-holder?  Since Natasha's against us, I want a challenge."_ Unfortunately, that also meant that Tony wouldn't be coming after him this time - there would be no need.  Of course, maybe Tony still didn't know that Clint was the one with the flag; but based on the loud, high-pitched shout of "TASHA, COME GET IT" his teammate had let out only minutes before that helpfully let the whole arena know which of Team Blue had the flag, it wasn't likely.  

This left Steve to figure out whether Natasha or Tony was the flag-holder, and he only had a despondent heart and no clue.  

He didn't even know why he was here again.  First of all, the arena was way overpriced, and secondly, the pizza tasted like feet.  Honestly, Natasha was the only Avenger who actually enjoyed laser tag.  He still couldn't believe the red-haired assassin had managed to cajole the rest of the team (minus Bruce and Thor) to play yet another game.

Suddenly, someone nearby cleared his throat, and Steve cursed himself for not paying attention.  However, his sharp eyes picked up a slight movement near the wall to the right of him and he hefted the gun up immediately, firing a perfect shot at the neon red vest in the darkness.  To his confusion, however, the figure in the dark didn't groan in disappointment or even make any noises.  Instead, the man merely placed his gun down, unbuckled his vest and let it drop to the ground before striding forward, eyes drinking Steve in.

"Tony, that's not allowed," Steve couldn't help but reprimand.  "You know once you get shot that you aren't allowed to do anything until your vest lights back up.  Especially not...taking it off."  Immediately, he thought of Tony taking other things off and firmly told himself to be the virtuous Captain America the world expected him to be.  Not...Steve Rogers.  Not the Steve Rogers with wants and desires.

"I know," the billionaire said with a casual shrug.  "But you know how I am.  I get bored."

Steve only shook his head, tamping down his fondness.  

"So," Tony said carefully, slowly.  In the dim lighting, his face looked like something out of a Picasso painting, everything just planes of shadow and light.  "Apparently Natasha really enjoys beating the crap out of Clint in laser tag.  It's only been a week and she's already dragged us back."

"Yeah," Steve replied, a little crestfallen.  It was obvious that Tony wasn't thrilled about it, and was probably here just because their teammate had wanted a repeat of the activity.  

"What do you think about it?" Tony asked suddenly.  His eyes looked wet, the kind of eyes Steve liked.  There were certain kinds of people that just had eyes that were the wet kind of dark.  That dreaming, drinking kind of dark.  Steve could literally write a poem just about the color of Tony's eyes.

"About what?" he said, and felt a little unsteady.

"About this."  Tony waved a hand around flippantly.  "This laser tagging crap."

Steve shrugged, careful not to show the hurt in the lines of his shoulders.  "It's for Natasha, so I don't mind."

Tony flashed him a grin.  "That's sweet of you, Rogers."

"Any one of us would do it," the blonde replied.  "That's why you're here too."

"Yeah, I guess," the engineer said.  He looked uncomfortable with the fact that Steve seemed to be implying he was a good person, and Steve wanted to hold him and tell him all the things he should love about himself.  But he couldn't.

Tony scratched the back of his neck with a quick hand, and suddenly he looked kind of nervous.  Far off, Steve's sharp ears could pick up Natasha's loud swearing in Russian and Clint's subsequent shrieks of equal horror and glee, but he couldn't seem to focus on them.  All he could see was Tony standing in front of him, suddenly looking nervous.  That was a miracle unto itself - the engineer billionaire philanthropist hero looking nervous?  Shy?  Even _in_ Stark Tower, despite having known his teammates for quite a long while, Tony rarely let his mask down.  Lately, however, he'd been showing his softer side more and more often, and Steve subsequently found himself being even more drawn to the beautiful enigma that was Tony Stark.

"So," Tony started, his hand unconsciously straying to the back of his neck to rub it, "I'm going to kill Rhodey if he was wrong.  But.  I guess you can hate me later if you want.  No time like the present."

"What?" Steve said, but Tony cut him off.  "Not so fast, soldier.  I'm still talking.  Uh, so, anyway, just - "  The engineer swallowed thickly.  "I just…  This isn't part of any game, alright?  I'm doing this because I want to."

Steve opened his mouth, and then Tony rose up on his tiptoes and planted a soft, sweet, lingering kiss on the supersoldier's lips.

This was nothing like the first kiss when they had first come to the laser tag arena - the first kiss had been full of this fiery, melting passion.  This?  This was like Tony was trying to carefully tug the breath from Steve's mouth with each little movement, a warm calloused _engineer's_ hand on the side of Steve's jaw, and Steve could breathe this time around.  God damn, he couldn't just wax poetry about Tony, he could write a whole series about him.  

Tony's kisses were giving kisses - first, giving Steve breath, second, giving him warmth, third, giving him home.  Steve had read enough books to know that everyone always described kisses as either slow and sweet or fervent and all-consuming, but he doubted anyone could ever write kisses the way Tony kissed him then.  

The lights flickered on around him, but Steve couldn't care less.  Tony began to pull away, but Steve wrapped one arm around the shorter man's back and tugged him back to his chest, drawing a surprised "Mm!" from him.  

"Tasha, and, Clint, will be wondering where we," Tony breathed against Steve's lips.  "Also...does this, mean, you feel the same way then?"

"Tony."  Steve pulled back abruptly, and hurt flashed through the billionaire's eyes for a quick second.  "Tony.  You.  Are the most.   _Oblivious._ Superhero.  On the planet.  I have liked you for a year now.  All I ever think about.  Is _you."_

"Oh," Tony breathed, and Steve tugged him forward to kiss him again.

They stayed interlocked for a few moments when suddenly, a loud voice over the speakers crackled throughout the arena, "FINALLY LIKE OH MY GOD, TASHA AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING _FOREVER."_

 _"Clint,"_ Tony yelled at the ceiling, red-faced and flustered, _"I'm going to pin you to the Empire State Building upside down using your own arrows when I catch you!"_

As Tony grabbed Steve's hand and started yanking him over to the exit, still swearing at the overhead cameras, Steve just chuckled.  LaserTech Arena had either been cowed by Natasha's steely glare and Clint's wild looks and had allowed them to use the speakers, or Clint had snuck in and now the Avengers would never be allowed back.

But honestly?  He couldn't even bring himself to care about his archer teammate's antics, nor the fact that Barton had probably _(somehow)_ taken hundreds of photos of their little makeout session.  Because he finally felt centered in a world that for so long felt strange and unnatural.  The twenty first century no longer represented all the things of the past he had lost, it now represented the future.  He had Tony, he had a _home -_ and someone to come home _to,_ no less - and he had never been a happier man.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i don't reply to comments unless they're questions but i always read them n feel happy so pls kudos and give me some love if you want :)  
> ALSO can i just say  
> my favorite thing in the whole wide WORLD is writing romantic scenes (haha). i felt so happy writing about steve and tony kissing and tony's eyes; you don't even know. there's just such untethered and hidden emotion in those kinds of scenes. that's mostly why i always struggle to write full stories, because i just want to get to the juicy moments :p


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